The 2025 21 Gun Salute Concours

I was invited to judge at a Concours in Delhi, India — the 21 Gun Salute Concours! I have travelled the world and seen many Asian countries, but I had never been to India. Also, like most judges, I had no idea what to expect from Indian car culture. Seeing cows, bikes, camels, horses, donkeys, cars, buses, tuk-tuks, and people all in the same street is amazing, especially when a car or truck drives on the wrong side!

The 40 judges from around the world were treated like royalty, and everything was well organized. After a great welcome dinner at the 21 Gun Salute Restaurant, the event started at the golf course.

When the official ceremonies with the Minister of Tourism were finished, we drove with some of the Indian collectors to the golf club. They stopped all traffic for us, so we had a fabulous drive through Delhi… until we got out of the city and got stuck in the 5- or 7-lane traffic jam. Luckily, my host had a proper Bentley 4¼ Drophead, which performed flawlessly even after an hour in traffic.

The selection of cars was very interesting, and many of them were Maharajah cars. The collectors were very friendly and highly knowledgeable. The quality of the cars was mostly outstanding, and the way they restore cars from rusty wreck to concours condition is incredible.

The class I judged was American post-war coupés and convertibles, so I was in for some learning! My American partners were very knowledgeable about these cars, and Master Ken knew them from his youth! On the last day, we had the difficult task of picking an overall winner. In the end, the Rolls-Royce 40/50 hp Ghost hunting car won — just ahead of an ex-ambassador 1955 Chrysler Imperial (amazing luxury)!

After the event, we were invited on a 3-day tour of India, which included a real Bollywood wedding and a safari. It was a real rollercoaster.

A big thank you to our host for this unforgettable journey!

From concours to Bollywood to Jaipur Palace in a Bentley!